Wings live: Vejlby-Risskov Hallen, Aarhus – 14 August 1972

Monday 14 August 1972 | Live, Paul McCartney, Wings

Wings performed at the Vejlby-Risskov Hallen in Aarhus, Denmark on 14 August 1972 — the 18th night of the Wings Over Europe Tour. The tour had opened on 9 July 1972 in Ollioules, France, and represented Paul McCartney’s first European concerts since 1966 — when The Beatles had performed their final European shows as part of their last concert tour.

The Wings Over Europe Tour was a deliberately low-key, spontaneous affair. Rather than booking large arenas in advance, Wings travelled across Europe largely unannounced, arriving at universities and smaller venues and negotiating to play at short notice. The approach was a conscious reaction against the stadium-scale Beatlemania that McCartney had experienced in the 1960s, and an attempt to reconnect with audiences in an intimate, direct way.

Wings lineup

Wings had been formed by McCartney in late 1971, with Denny Laine — formerly of The Moody Blues — as a core member from the outset. Henry McCullough, an Irish guitarist who had previously played with Joe Cocker’s Grease Band at Woodstock, joined in early 1972. Denny Seiwell had played drums on McCartney’s second solo album Ram (1971) before becoming a full member of Wings. Linda McCartney, despite having no prior professional musical experience, was a permanent fixture in the lineup — a decision that attracted considerable criticism at the time but which McCartney consistently defended.

Paul McCartney — officially licensed merch

Paul McCartney: Wings Over Europe Unisex T-Shirt (Charcoal Grey) — celebrating the very tour on which this concert took place.

Wings Over Europe T-Shirt →

Concert setlist

1. ‘Eat At Home’
2. ‘Smile Away’
3. ‘Bip Bop’
4. ‘Mumbo’
5. ‘1882’
6. ‘I Would Only Smile’
7. ‘Give Ireland Back to the Irish’
8. ‘Blue Moon Of Kentucky’
9. ‘The Mess’
10. ‘Best Friend’
11. ‘Soily’
12. ‘I Am Your Singer’
13. ‘Seaside Woman’
14. ‘Henry’s Blues’
15. ‘Say You Don’t Mind’
16. ‘Wild Life’
17. ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’
18. ‘My Love’
19. ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’
20. ‘Hi, Hi, Hi’
21. ‘Long Tall Sally’

The 21-song set drew heavily from Wings’ first two albums — Wild Life (1971) and the then-forthcoming Red Rose Speedway (1973) — alongside McCartney solo material and a handful of rock ‘n’ roll covers. Notably, the set included ‘Give Ireland Back to the Irish’, the politically charged single that had been banned by the BBC following its release in February 1972 in response to Bloody Sunday. Its inclusion in the live set was a deliberate statement by McCartney. The set closed with ‘Long Tall Sally’ — the Little Richard song that The Beatles had used as a concert closer throughout their touring years.

Paul McCartney — officially licensed merch

Paul McCartney: Wings Collage Unisex T-Shirt (Black).

Wings Collage T-Shirt →

Wings Over Europe Tour: all dates

Vejlby-Risskov Hallen, Aarhus

Vejlby-Risskov Hallen, Aarhus, Denmark — where Wings performed on 14 August 1972 during the Wings Over Europe Tour.

Key Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

→ Dick James resigns from Northern Songs – 14 August 1970
→ The Beatles live: Cleveland Stadium – 14 August 1966
→ August in Beatles History
→ The Beatles Knowledge Hub
→ On This Day in Beatles History

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